Joseph Harris is assistant professor of sociology at Boston University. His research explores the politics of universal coverage policy and HIV/AIDS in the industrializing world. He is a past recipient of the Henry Luce Scholarship and a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Award. He holds a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School and a PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Abstract

The notion of “regulatory capture” is typically used to describe the takeover of state agencies by outside interest groups that seek to weaken regulation and advance the agendas of interest groups through control over state policy levers. This concept can be contrasted with that of “developmental capture” of state agencies by networks of reformist bureaucrats within the state who seek to promote inclusive state social and developmental policies of benefit to the broader populace. Building on work that has pointed to instances in which state bureaucrats act autonomously from societal and political pressures, this article argues that existing explanations are insufficient for explaining Thailand's universal health care policy. It points to the critical role played by a network of bureaucrats within the state who strategically mobilized resources in the bureaucracy, political parties, civil society, and international organizations to institutionalize universal health care in the face of broader professional dissent, political uncertainty, and international pressure.